Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Firefighters rush to contain L.A. blazes ahead of stronger winds; Concerns voiced as IA lawmakers could slash child labor laws; FL League of Women Voters helps returning citizens restore voting rights; Another Trump nominee under the microscope in PA.

Transcript

The Public News Service daily newscast January the 13th, 2025.

I'm Mike Clifford.

Firefighters racing against the arrival of more desert winds made progress Sunday against the two biggest fires raging in Los Angeles, which have killed at least 16 people and destroyed entire neighborhoods from the inland hills to the Pacific coast.

That from the New York Times.

They report at least 16 other people have been reported missing in the area of the two largest fires.

The sheriff there, Robert Luna of Los Angeles County said at a news conference that he expected that number would absolutely rise.

The Times notes Chief McDonald of the LA Police Department said his department was working with various fire departments involved, the ATF and the FBI, to determine the source of the fires.

He added they could not speak to the investigation at this time.

We head next to Iowa, where lawmakers are considering reducing fines companies pay for breaking child labor laws.

The proposal to rewrite section 32 of the state's child labor laws would reduce fines for companies that violate them from $10,000 per instance to $2,500.

Iowa AFL-CIO President Charlie Wischman says Iowa has the infamous distinction of leading the nation in rolling back labor laws designed to protect minors.

You've seen a lot of child labor law reform all across the country, and it doesn't really seem to necessarily be based in partisanship.

You can see a place like Alabama that's strengthening it.

You can see a place like Iowa that's loosening it.

The state has said it's looking at creative ways to add more people to the workforce, with shortages especially critical in rural areas.

Wischman worries reducing the fines would create even greater safety risks for minors in those places.

I'm Mark Moran.

Next to the Sunshine State, where the League of Women Voters of Florida is taking a personal approach to restoring voting rights for returning citizens.

The Postcard Initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure people know their rights and have the legal support they need to navigate Florida's complex voting restoration process.

Florida League co-president Cecile Schoon describes the importance of direct outreach to returning citizens, and says the Postcard Campaign has made a significant impact.

I have personally looked at people's records, and they were not voting for over 10, 20 years, but they didn't know that their felony charge was dropped to a misdemeanor.

I never filed a court paper, I just read their record.

And that person was voting like within a week, crying, excited.

The League's effort began with Florida's 2018 passage of Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to most people with felony convictions.

However, added fines and fees requirements created barriers.

And while the state introduced a process to verify voter eligibility, advocates say it remains too complex and confusing for many returning citizens.

I'm Tramell Gomes.

This is Public News Service.

Next, an environmental group is voicing concerns about the current nominee to lead the Federal Office of Management and Budget.

Our Daniel Smith has more.

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Russ Vogt, a co-author of Project 2025, to head this office.

Although Trump has long claimed he has no knowledge of the conservative playbook, David Kiva with EDF Action says in the previous Trump administration, Vogt delayed resources and funding relief to states during weather disasters.

Kiva is convinced Vogt's confirmation would jeopardize Pennsylvania's economic well-being.

Pennsylvania farmers, small business owners, and citizens continue to deal with severe weather impacts and rising electric bills.

They need our elected leaders in Washington to step up.

Russ Vogt has intentionally checked out when Pennsylvanians and the rest of Americans have needed help the most.

Vogt's confirmation hearing is set for January 15th.

And with lawmakers back in Boise, changes could be coming to Medicaid.

Our Rectangular Health Reports voters approved Medicaid expansion in 2018, but Republican lawmakers have consistently said the program is too costly for Idaho.

Some legislators are even considering repealing the expanded program.

However, radical changes such as this could hurt families the most.

Randy LaSalle is a single mom with four kids on Medicaid.

She says at one point she was working two jobs and paying $800 per month per private health insurance, which was more than her rent.

I stopped working two jobs because it just wasn't feasible with trying to take care of a bunch of kids and bouncing between counties trying to keep up two jobs.

Things are a little tighter, but at least I don't have to pay for insurance anymore.

Expansion helped cover people who made too much to qualify for Medicaid and fell into a coverage gap.

The program covers about one in six adults and three in eight children in Idaho.

LaSalle says she hopes legislators make the program more accessible for families this session.

And finally, advocates want federal regulators to shut down what they say is an illegal coal-haul road in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest.

While he expects the company to argue its right to continue using the road in court, he says groups recently sent a letter to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, asking its deputy director, Sharon Bacino, to immediately shut it down.

It makes no sense.

Allow them to continue operating this haul road in the meanwhile.

The haul road needs to be shut down right now, and Sharon Bacino has the authority to do that, and we are asking her to do that.

Under federal law, surface coal-mining operations are prohibited on protected lands, unless a coal company acquired rights established before the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.

Nadia Ramligan reporting.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

Hear us on interesting radio stations, your favorite podcast platform.

Find our content and trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.